Slide/Rotation Attachment Unit and Electronic Device Using the Same

1. A slide/rotation attachment unit including: a base plate with first and second axis pins being spaced from each other at a predetermined distance; and a movable plate with first and second hook-shaped portions that can engage with the first and second axis pins, respectively, wherein the base plate and the movable plate are joined together so that the base plate and the movable plate are rotatable relative to each other, wherein, when the movable plate rotates in one direction, the first hook-shaped portion is brought into engagement with the first axis pin and the second hook-shaped portion is disengaged from the second axis pin, and wherein, when the movable plate rotates in another direction, the second hook-shaped portion is brought into engagement with the second axis pin and the first hook-shaped portion is disengaged from the first axis pin.

2. The slide/rotation attachment unit according to claim 1 , further including an attachment shaft for joining the base plate and the movable plate together, wherein the base plate is provided with a guide slit having such a shape that an arc with a center at the first axis pin and an arc with a center at the second axis pin meet at an intermediate position between the first and second axis pins, the movable plate includes an attachment portion provided at an intermediate position between the first and second hook-shaped portions, and the attachment shaft is fixed to the attachment portion and is movable within the guide slit.

3. The slide/rotation attachment unit according to claim 2 , wherein the attachment shaft is in a form of a pipe.

4. The slide/rotation attachment unit according to claim 2 , wherein the intermediate position between the first and second axis pins is a substantial midpoint of a line connecting the first and second axis pins, and the intermediate position between the first and second hook-shaped portions is a substantial midpoint of a line connecting the first and second hook-shaped portions.

5. The slide/rotation attachment unit according to claim 2 , wherein the guide slit includes: a first recessed portion into which the attachment shaft is guided by spring bias when the first and second axis pins engage with the first and second hook-shaped portions, respectively, a second recessed portion into which the attachment shaft is guided by spring bias when the movable plate rotates through 90 degrees in one direction from the state in which the first and second axis pins have engaged with the first and second hook-shaped portions, respectively, and a third recessed portion into which the attachment shaft is guided by spring bias when the movable plate rotates through 90 degrees in another direction from the state in which the first and second axis pins have engaged with the first and second hook-shaped portions, respectively.

6. The slide/rotation attachment unit according to claim 5 , wherein the spring for spring bias comprises a torsion spring, one arm of the spring is attached to the base plate, and another arm of the spring is attached to the attachment shaft.

7. The slide/rotation attachment unit according to claim 1 , wherein the base plate includes a regulation piece formed for regulating movement of the movable plate without inhibiting the hook-shaped portions from being disengaged from the corresponding axis pins in the state in which the first and second hook-shaped portions have engaged with the first and second axis pins, respectively.

8. The slide/rotation attachment unit according to claim 7 , wherein the movable plate includes a protruded portion provided at an intermediate position between the first and second axis pins, and, in order to prevent the hook-shaped portions of the movable plate from coming off, the regulation piece is configured to be longer than a movable length of a joint portion of the base plate and the movable plate when the movable plate is moved toward the protruded portion in the state in which the first and second hook-shaped portions have engaged with the first and second axis pins, respectively, until the joint portion is brought into contact with the protruded portion.

9. An electronic device, wherein the slide/rotation attachment unit according to claim 1 is provided between a first unit as an operation unit and a second unit as a display unit in a state in which a rear surface of the second unit is overlaid on a front surface of the first unit, the base plate is attached to the first unit, the movable plate is attached to the second unit, the first hook-shaped portion of the movable plate engages with the first axis pin in the attached state while the second hook-shaped portion is disengaged from the second axis pin, the second hook-shaped portion is brought into engagement with the second axis pin and the second unit is changed from a vertically-oriented posture to a horizontally-oriented posture when the movable plate rotates about the first axis pin toward the second axis pin through 90 degrees, and the second unit is changed into a vertically-oriented posture in which part of the second unit is overlaid on part of the first unit along a longitudinal direction when the movable plate further rotates about the second axis pin in the same direction through 90 degrees.

10. The electronic device according to claim 9 , wherein a periphery of the base plate has such a shape that the base plate cannot be seen from an outside of the base plate at the time of rotation of the second unit.

11. The electronic device according to claim 10 , wherein the base plate is configured to have a rectangular plane having a shape in which a side away from the axis pins as compared to other sides in the periphery of the rectangular base plate has been cut obliquely.

12. A slidable electronic device in which a first unit as an operation unit is slidable relative to a second unit as a display unit in a state in which a rear surface of the second unit is overlaid on a front surface of the first unit, wherein the slide/rotation attachment unit according to claim 1 is provided between the first unit and the second unit, the base plate is attached to the first unit, the movable plate is attached to the second unit, the first and second hook-shaped portions of the movable plate engage with the first and second axis pins of the base plate, respectively, in the attached state, the second unit is changed from a vertically-oriented posture to a horizontally-oriented posture when the movable plate rotates about the first axis pin in one direction through 90 degrees, and the second unit is changed into a reversed horizontally-oriented posture when the movable plate rotates about the second axis pin in another direction through 90 degrees.

13. A foldable electronic device in which a first unit as an operation unit is coupled to a second unit as a display unit in a foldable state, wherein the first unit includes a holding base coupled via a foldable hinged portion, the second unit is coupled to the first unit via the holding base, the slide/rotation attachment unit according to claim 1 is provided between the first unit and the second unit, the base plate is attached to the holding base, the movable plate is attached to the second unit, the first and second hook-shaped portions of the movable plate engage with the first and second axis pins of the base plate, respectively, in the attached state, the second unit is changed from a vertically-oriented posture to a horizontally-oriented posture when the movable plate rotates about the first axis pin in one direction through 90 degrees, and the second unit is changed into a reversed horizontally-oriented posture when the movable plate rotates about the second axis pin in another direction through 90 degrees.